Bioactivity evaluation-based ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry and novel distinction of multi-subchemome compatibility recognition strategy with Astragali Radix-Fructus Corni herb-pair as a case study

A comprehensive pharmacokinetic strategy for systematic evaluation of whole interaction of different constituents in Astragali Radix -Fructus Corni to improve diabetic kidney disease

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Astragali-Radix (the dried root of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, AR) - Fructus Corni (the dried ripe fruit of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc., FC) has been used as a herb-pair remedy to treat diabetic kidney disease (DKD) for hundred years. Polysaccharides, saponins, and flavonoids in AR, and the iridoid glycosides in FC were deemed as the main bioactive constituents that can offer beneficial nephroprotective activities. A systematic evaluation of the nephroprotective effects of AR-FC herb pair, the main bioactive constituents extracted from the herb pair, and their combinations in different ratios was performed, CG6 (polysaccharides, flavonoids, saponins, and iridoid glycosides, in a ratio of 2:3:1:2) as the best compatibility proportion was screened out in our previous study.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetic characteristics of AR-FC herb-pair in DKD rats, and explore the interactions between constituents from AR-FC and the rational compatibility of different constituents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The protective effect of AR-FC and CG6 on renal injury caused by DKD was first verified by histopathological examination. Then, an analytical method based on UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS and UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS for qualitative and quantitative metabolites without reference standards was established and applied to pharmacokinetic (PK) studies in following different aspects: between single groups (polysaccharides, flavonoids, saponins and iridoid glycosides) and compatibility groups (AR-FC, CG6), in normal and DKD rats, in single-dose administration and long-term administration.

RESULTS

Pathological observations confirmed that AR-FC could improve renal injury in DKD rats. PK profiles of nine prototypes and four metabolites in various groups were obtained, revealing the compatibility of multiple constitutes, pathological states, and long-term administration could alter PK characteristics of the main components from AR-FC, and promoting the absorption of them (Cmax, AUC0-t, and AUC0-t increased). Notably, co-administration of iridoid glycosides could significantly increase the absorption of flavonoids and saponins in vivo. The pharmacokinetics based on homologous compounds revealed that saponins first acted, then its initial metabolites affected flavonoids, and ultimately the metabolites of flavonoids influenced iridoid glycosides.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated the existence of interactions between constituents from AR-FC herb-pair and the importance of their rational compatibility. It provides experimental evidence for developing a therapeutic agent based on AR-FC (especially CG6) to treat DKD. It is also expected to provide a reference for the multi-component pharmacokinetic study of other herbal medicines.

Symptom-oriented network pharmacology revealed the mechanism of HuangQi-DanShen herb pair against cerebral ischemia coupled with comprehensive chemical characterization

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

In the clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine, HuangQi-DanShen (HD) is an important drug pair for the treatment of cerebral ischemia (CI).

AIM OF THE STUDY

Elucidate the mechanism of HD against CI based on symptom-oriented network pharmacology coupled with comprehensive chemical characterization.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS technology was firstly used to obtain the chemical profile of HD constituents. A comprehensive strategy combining in-house library, diagnostic ions, Compound Discover software and network databases was then established to identify its chemical constitutes. Symptomatic treatment is a treatment aimed at relieving or eliminating symptoms which is often characterized as a stop-gap measure due to its inability to cure the disease fundamentally. Nevertheless, symptomatic treatment is an indispensable part of clinical practice and has an important place in medical therapeutics. Therefore, network pharmacology technique were used to elucidate molecular mechanisms from the symptoms of CI. Finally, some literatures were further mined to support our conclusions.

RESULTS

A total of 190 ingredients were identified in HD. Symptom-oriented network pharmacology analysis indicated that compounds of HD relieved "blood" through the regulation of ADORA2A, ADORA1, PTPN11, MMP9 and EGFR, relieved "qi" via the regulation of ADORA2A, EGFR, MMP9 and CA2. The therapeutic effect of HD on "faint" was linked to PTPN11 and MMP9, while the regulation of "dyskinesia" was related to ADORA2A and EGFR, and ADORA1, PTPN11 and MMP9 were associated withe its effect on "speech disorder". ADORA1, ADORA2A and MMP9 were key to the HD component in treating "visual disturbance".

CONCLUSION

The approach of symptom-oriented network pharmacology coupled with comprehensive chemical characterization proposed a further orientation for exploring the mechanisms of HD against CI.

Network pharmacology-guided and TCM theory-supported in vitro and in vivo component identification of Naoluoxintong

Naoluoxintong (NLXT) has been used to treat ischemic stroke (IS) in China for more than two hundred years. However, the pharmacodynamic material basis of NLXT has not been fully studied. Under the guidance of the former network pharmacological analysis, a rapid and reliable method combining UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE with the novel informatics UNIFI™ platform was established which was used to study the composition of NLXT and its prototype components and metabolites in vivo. A total of 102 compounds were identified. 13 compounds were sourced from "Monarch herb", mainly involving flavonoids and their glycosides. 54 compounds were sourced from "Minister herb", mainly involving triterpenoid saponins, organic acids and lactones. 11 compounds were from the "Assistant herb", mostly containing citric acid and esters of citric acid. 24 compounds were from the "Guide herb", mostly including flavonoids and their glycosides, organic acids and lactones. Moreover, 24 prototype components and 30 metabolites were detected, and in vivo transformation pathways for different types of chemical components were provided. This is a comprehensive report on the identification of major chemical components in NLXT and metabolic components in rats by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS combined with UNIFI platform under the guidance of network pharmacology, which is helpful for the quality control of NLXT and the study of quality markers.

Quality evaluation of raw and processed Corni Fructus by UHPLC-QTOF-MS and HPLC coupled with color determination

Corni Fructus (CF), used for thousands of years in Asia as food and medicine, has different therapeutic effects before and after processing. In the past work, the quality assessment of Corni Fructus focused on the limited chemical compounds and rarely correlated external properties, such as color. The traditional sensory assessment relies partly on human eyes, which is quick but lacks objectivity. On a Shimadzu LC-20AD liquid chromatograph system equipped with a diode-array detector (DAD), we determined six major compounds (gallic acid, 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde, morroniside, loganin, sweroside, and cornuside I). The extract was analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) after the solid-phase extraction (SPE) step. Totally 58 compounds in raw and processed Corni Fructus were identified in negative and positive ion modes according to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) fragments. Iridoids, carboxylic acids, tannins, flavonoids, triterpenes, fatty acids, saccharides, phospholipids, polysaccharide, amino acid, amide, furan, catechol, aldehyde, fatty alcohol and vitamin were included. A multivariate statistical analysis based on UHPLC-QTOF-MS filtered 17 differential compounds between raw and processed products. The CM-5 colorimeter was applied for digitizing surface and powder color. The contents of gallic acid, morroniside, loganin, cornuside I, and sweroside significantly correlated with color parameters in raw Corni Fructus, particularly adp* and bdp* , but not in processed products, according to Spearman correlation analysis. MS peak area of four compounds in raw products correlated significantly with color parameters Ldp* , adp* , bdp* , Lpd* , apd* , bpd* , respectively, while three compounds in processed products with Lpd* , apd* , bpd* . It revealed the relationship between compounds and color of Corni Fructus and the crucial compounds to color. In this study, we successfully developed a method for comprehensive quality evaluation of Corni Fructus that combines HPLC, UHPLC-QTOF-MS, and color determination.

Combination of UPLC-Q-TOF/MS and Network Pharmacology to Reveal the Mechanism of Qizhen Decoction in the Treatment of Colon Cancer

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been utilized for the treatment of colon cancer. Qizhen decoction (QZD), a potential compound prescription of TCM, possesses multiple biological activities. It has been proven clinically effective in the treatment of colon cancer. However, the molecular mechanism of anticolon cancer activity is still not clear. This study aimed to identify the chemical composition of QZD. Furthermore, a collaborative analysis strategy of network pharmacology and cell biology was used to further explore the critical signaling pathway of QZD anticancer activity. First, ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was performed to identify the chemical composition of QZD. Then, the chemical composition database of QZD was constructed based on a systematic literature search and review of chemical constituents. Moreover, the common and indirect targets of chemical components of QZD and colon cancer were searched by multiple databases. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the String database (https://www.string-db.org/). All of the targets were analyzed by Gene Oncology (GO) bioanalysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and the visual network topology diagram of "Prescription-TCM-Chemical composition-Direct target-Indirect target-Pathway" was constructed by Cytoscape software (v3.7.1). The top molecular pathway ranked by statistical significance was further verified by molecular biology methods. The results of UPLC-Q-TOF/MS showed that QZD had 111 kinds of chemical components, of which 103 were unique components and 8 were common components. Ten pivotal targets of QZD in the treatment of colon cancer were screened by the PPI network. Targets of QZD involve many biological processes, such as the signaling pathway, immune system, gene expression, and so on. QZD may interfere with biological pathways such as cell replication, oxygen-containing compounds, or organic matter by protein binding, regulation of signal receptors or enzyme binding, and affect cytoplasm and membrane-bound organelles. The main antitumor core pathways were the apoptosis metabolic pathway, the PI3K-Akt signal pathway, and so on. Expression of the PI3K-Akt signal pathway was significantly downregulated after the intervention of QZD, which was closely related to the inhibition of proliferation and migration of colon cancer cells by cell biology methods. The present work may facilitate a better understanding of the effective components, therapeutic targets, biological processes, and signaling pathways of QZD in the treatment of colon cancer and provide useful information about the utilization of QZD.

Potential Synergy Mechanism of Processing Methods for the Basic Remedies of Qixue Shuangbu Prescription Based on Integrated Metabolomics Strategy and Network Pharmacology Study

Qixue Shuangbu Prescription (QSP) is a famous traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula widely used for the treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF). Previous clinical studies have found that the efficacy of processed QSP has been significantly enhanced in the treatment of CHF. However, the synergistic mechanisms of processed QSP to enhance the treatment of CHF are still unclear. Generally, the changes in clinical effects mainly result from the variations of inside chemical basis caused by the TCM processing procedure. In this study, we developed a network pharmacology-integrated metabolomics strategy to clarify the difference of the effective compounds between crude and processed QSP, and further explain the mechanism of processed QSP to produce a synergistic effects. As a result, 69 different compounds were successfully screened, identified, quantified and verified as the most potential marker compounds. These different chemical components may play an anti-CHF and enhance the therapeutic effect through 52 action pathways such as estrogen signaling pathway, ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, etc. This study revealed that the proposed network pharmacology-integrated metabolomics strategy was a powerful tool for explaining the mechanism of synergistic action in the processing of QSP, further controlling the quality and understanding the processing mechanism of TCM formulae.

An integrated strategy for holistic quality identification of Chinese patent medicine: Liuwei Dihuang Pills as a case study

INTRODUCTION

Liuwei Dihuang Pills (concentrated pills, simplified as LWDHP), one of the most famous classic Chinese Patent Medicine (CPM), is produced by hundreds of pharmaceutical manufacturers with billions of Chinese yuan (CNY) in annual sales. However, current quality identification of LWDHP mainly relies on a thin-layer chromatography (TLC) method that is complicated and deficient.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study is to simplify the identification process and provide a more comprehensive quality assessment method of LWDHP by developing an integrated strategy based on liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and multivariate statistical analysis.

METHOD

Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC/QTOF-MS) was employed to perform qualitative analyses of a home-made LWDHP and to establish a stably characteristic compound library by analysis of batches of its component herbs. Then selective ion monitoring (SIM) of single MS was utilised to develop a rapid identification method based on the UHPLC/QTOF-MS analysis result. Multivariate statistical analysis was subsequently used for the quality assessment of different commercial samples.

RESULTS

Seventy-eight characteristic compounds were characterised, and 68 of them were recorded to establish a stably characteristic compound library. Thirty-one compounds were selected from the library for the establishment of SIM identification method. Good specificity, capability, and feasibility had been respectively verified by the analysis of blank sample, negative control (NC) preparation samples, home-made LWDHP sample, and commercial sample. Multivariate statistical analysis of 20 batches of commercial LWDHP samples revealed the quality consistency of the same vendor's product and quality difference between diverse vendors' products.

CONCLUSION

The SIM identification method by a single analysis could significantly simplify the identification process of LWDHP, and it was performed in a holistic mode for no less than two compounds of each component herb monitored. Moreover, it could also be combined with multivariate statistical analysis to conduct quality assessments of batches of samples. The integrated strategy used in the study of LWDHP could be applied for the identification of other CPM as well.

Investigation on Spectrum-Effect Correlation between Constituents Absorbed into Blood and Bioactivities of Baizhu Shaoyao San before and after Processing on Ulcerative Colitis Rats by UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS Coupled with Gray Correlation Analysis

Baizhu Shaoyao San (BSS) is a crucial traditional Chinese medicinal formula widely applied for the treatment of painful diarrhea, diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and some other gastrointestinal diseases. Corresponding to the clinical medication, the three medicinal herbs (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Paeoniae Radix Alba, and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium) included in BSS should be processed using some specific methods of stir-frying. To find the underlying correlations between serum chemical profiles and curative effects of crude and processed BSS on ulcerative colitis rats, and further explore for the effective material basis of processing, an UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS technique coupled with gray correlation analysis (GCA) was developed. A total of 134 compounds were identified in rat sera after oral administration of BSS, among which 24 compounds were prototypes and 110 compounds were metabolites. Meanwhile, an ulcerative colitis model was established in rats by enema with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid, and the pharmacodynamic indicators for drug efficacies were evaluated as well. According to the results, processed BSS showed better efficacy than crude BSS. The top 10 potential effective components with high degree of correlation were identified based on GCA results, which were thought to be the crucial compounds that contributed to the enhancement of therapeutic effects in BSS after processing.

MicroRNAs as a Novel Tool in the Diagnosis of Liver Lipid Dysregulation and Fatty Liver Disease

In recent years, metabolic disorder, especially fatty liver disease, has been considered a major challenge to global health. The attention of researchers focused on expanding knowledge of the regulation mechanism behind these diseases and towards the new diagnostics tools and treatments. The pathophysiology of the fatty liver disease is undoubtedly complex. Abnormal hepatic lipid accumulation is a major symptom of most metabolic diseases. Therefore, the identification of novel regulation factors of lipid metabolism is important and meaningful. As a new diagnostic tool, the function of microRNAs during fatty liver disease has recently come into notice in biological research. Accumulating evidence supports the influence of miRNAs in lipid metabolism. In this review, we discuss the potential role of miRNAs in liver lipid metabolism and the pathogenesis of fatty liver disease.

The Efficacy and Mechanism of Chinese Herbal Medicine on Diabetic Kidney Disease

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the most common microvascular complication of diabetes and is one of the main causes of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in many countries. The pathological features of DKD are the hypertrophy of mesangial cells, apoptosis of podocytes, glomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickening, accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM), glomerular sclerosis, and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. The etiology of DKD is very complicated and many factors are involved, such as genetic factors, hyperglycemia, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, abnormalities of renal hemodynamics, and metabolism of vasoactive substances. Although some achievements have been made in the exploration of the pathogenesis of DKD, the currently available clinical treatment methods are still not completely effective in preventing the progress of DKD to ESRD. CHM composed of natural products has traditionally been used for symptom relief, which may offer new insights into therapeutic development of DKD. We will summarize the progress of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) in the treatment of DKD from two aspects. In clinical trials, the Chinese herbal formulas were efficacy and safety confirmed by the randomized controlled trials. In terms of experimental research, studies provided evidence for the efficacy of CHM from the perspectives of balancing metabolic disorders, reducing inflammatory response and oxidative stress, antifibrosis, protecting renal innate cells, and regulating microRNA and metabolism. CHM consisting of different ingredients may play a role in synergistic interactions and multiple target points in the treatment of DKD.

Quality assessment of Astragali Radix from different production areas by simultaneous determination of thirteen major compounds using tandem UV/charged aerosol detector

To identify more chemical markers for improving the quality standard and evaluate producing areas differentiation of Astragali Radix (AR), a simple, low-cost and reliable chromatography method based on a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with ultraviolet (UV) detector and charged aerosol detector (CAD) for separation of 13 major chemical components, including 8 flavonoids and 5 astragalosides in AR extract, was developed. The contents of 13 compounds in total of 27 herb samples, collected from different cultivating regions, were determined and compared. Moreover, chemometric analysis techniques with principal component constituent analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were performed to discriminate the samples from different producing areas. As a result, an obvious linkage between the content of components and collecting areas was found. Results showed that the content of astragaloside III and astragaloside IV could be used to differentiate samples collected from Northeast China, Inner Mongolia and Shanxi Province, suggesting that they should be added as the chemical marker for further investigation on the pharmacological actions and the quality control of AR.

Protective effect of Fructus corni polysaccharide on hippocampal tissues and its relevant mechanism in epileptic rats induced by lithium chloride-pilocarpine

The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential effect of Fructus corni polysaccharide (PFC) on the hippocampus tissues in epileptic rats induced by lithium chloride-pilocarpine, and to explore the underlying mechanism. The epileptic rat models were established using lithium chloride-pilocarpine treatment. According to the dosage of PFC, the rat models were divided into three groups: The low-dose (100 mg/kg/day), middle-dose (200 mg/kg/day) and high-dose (300 mg/kg/day) groups. The intervention for rat models lasted for 24 days. Subsequently, the production levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), the mitochondrial membrane potential and the expressions of mitogen-activated protein kinase [P-38, Janus kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2], cytochrome-C and caspase-3 in hippocampal tissues were detected. In addition, the structure of the CA-1 region of the hippocampus was also observed. Compared with the control group, the production levels of ROS were increased and the mitochondrial membrane potential was decreased in the hippocampus tissues of rats in the model group. In addition, in the model group, it was observed that MDA content was increased, SOD activity was decreased, and the expressions of phosphorylated (p)-p38, p-JNK, cytochrome-c and caspase-3 were increased, compared with the control group. Furthermore, those abnormal variations of the indicators were reversed by the intervention of PFC. These findings suggest that PFC can ameliorate the secondary damage to the hippocampi of epileptic rats, and that the anti-oxidation and -apoptosis effects of PFC may be associated with the mechanism that provides a protective effect for hippocampal tissues.